Privacy and Online Education

Online education and privacy at VU Amsterdam

The measures taken in relation to the coronavirus have had a major impact on education at the university. We would like to thank you for being patient as we have looked for alternative teaching options to ensure as much continuity as possible in our education and assessment processes. Depending on the situation, education might take place online. In response to concerns from the University and Faculty Student Councils regarding the accessibility of online education and students’ privacy, we would like to explain here which considerations the university has taken into account.

Why have we opted for online teaching?

VU Amsterdam, like all universities, is required to follow government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. At the same time, we are required to provide high-quality, accessible education that can be completed within the period specified for the relevant programme. This means that we have had to look for alternatives in order to ensure continuity in our education and examinations, so that your academic progress is not delayed. Adequate measures to prevent misconduct during examinations must also be taken, otherwise the value of your degree will be adversely affected. To ensure that this does not happen, we have opted to provide online teaching and to provide online monitoring (or ‘online proctoring’) for a number of examinations, in order to prevent any misconduct. This involves recording you using your own webcam. We only use this method if, according to the Examination Board, no alternative method of assessment is possible.

Due to government measures, policies regarding online education and online proctoring vary. Look here for the latest state of affairs.

Privacy

We understand that this raises questions regarding privacy. We take these concerns very seriously, and will make every effort to ensure that all personal data is handled carefully and securely. When using new educational tools, we will therefore consider in advance whether these are appropriate and, if so, under what circumstances and conditions. A tool will only be used if it meets the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and meets the needs of both students and teaching staff.

We have received many questions regarding 1) the use of online monitoring for remote assessment and 2) the use of Zoom for teaching purposes. We will explain more about both these subjects below.

Use of Zoom for teaching

We have taken the following steps to ensure that your personal data is processed securely and carefully.

• We have purchased licenses from Zoom. This means that VU Amsterdam does not use the free version of Zoom.
• We have entered into a data processing agreement with Zoom to ensure that all personal data is handled carefully, securely and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The agreement stipulates that Zoom and its subcontractors (sub-processors) may never process any personal data for their own purposes.
• We have drafted a privacy statement explaining how the privacy of users is assured. 
• We have opted for the safest and most privacy-friendly Zoom settings possible. For example, the ‘attention tracking’ function has been disabled and Zoom can only be used with a password.  

In addition, we keep a close eye on all reports regarding the security of Zoom and other applications, and ensure that (extra) measures are taken wherever necessary.

How do I use Zoom securely?

To use Zoom securely, it is important to take the following steps.

1. Use the university’s Zoom license. Do not use a private account or a free version.
2. Do not share sensitive information via Zoom.
3. Only accept the cookies that are required. Do not accept other cookies (under Zoom’s cookie settings, choose ‘required cookies / CCPA opt-out’). 
4. You may not record a Zoom session yourself in any way. The teacher will inform you before the session whether or not it will be recorded and how any recording will be made available.
5. Update the Zoom application whenever you are prompted to do so.
6. Use a secure internet connection, such as your home network, secured with a strong password or eduVPN.
7. Be aware of what is in your background. If you want, you can replace your background with a virtual one.

Can I be required to turn on my webcam and microphone during online meetings?

When teaching online, VU Amsterdam as much as possible follows the rules and practices that apply to education on campus. For webcam and microphone use during online meetings this means the following:

• Students can only be required to switch on their webcam and microphone when:
  • in view of the nature of online education, it is necessary to hear and see each other. Think of lectures or practicals in which the learning objectives require interaction and/or active participation; or
  • compulsory attendance applies.

Objection > A student who, due to his specific situation, is unable or unwilling to turn on his webcam and microphone, must inform the teacher beforehand. The instructor will then assess whether a different solution can and must be found for the student in question. If it is not possible to come to a solution, the student can make use of his right to lodge an objection with the Data Protection Officer against the processing of his personal data. This can be done via functionarisgegevensbescherming@vu.nl. For more information, see question 10 on this website.

• In all other cases, students can in principle not be required to turn on their webcam and microphone. However, teachers and students can discuss which webcam etiquette is desirable, without this being obligatory.